Malique Pye BFA’26 finds a creative community at PNCA

Malique Pye BFA’26 is an artist in motion. After he came across Willamette University’s Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) by chance at a portfolio review day, he quickly moved across the country to pursue his passion for capturing movement through photography.

“Whether it be in dance, sports, nature; I want to pause the moment of movement to be appreciated for longer than the split second in reality that it lives,” Malique says.

For his senior thesis, Malique has been documenting ballet folklórico, a traditional Mexican dance form, as a celebration of culture and community. Mexican culture inspired Malique as a kid, and now the project will send him around the world following dance communities and capturing the art of movement through photography.

Malique’s ability to focus on a long-term, multifaceted project like his thesis came from a Large Format course he took with Associate Professor Sally Schoolmaster. He relished the opportunity to immerse himself into the details of a project.

“Having the ability to focus on a single project allowed me to dive deeper into my concept and research, and gave the project time to breathe and be more,” Malique says.

He also gained valuable mentorship from his thesis advisor Rachel Wolf, who has served as a source of inspiration and encouragement throughout the process.

“Rachel's approach and ability to get us to push our concept and thinking is the reason I asked her to be my mentor for my thesis,” Malique says. “She is always there to support and hype us up with our ideas, and will walk us through different approaches and ways to show our work.”

Coming to PNCA from Florida, Malique didn’t have a strong creative community when he arrived in Portland. But that changed when he found a rich support system in his fellow students and his faculty mentors.

“My creative circle was limited to a handful of artists I just met before moving, and automotive photographers in south Florida,” Malique says. “Being here has opened my circle and unveiled more opportunities to look into.”

The PNCA community opened up for Malique in the form of an internship with PNCA alum Mario Gallucci MFA’14. The internship helped show Malique what it means to be a working artist, giving him hands-on experience and practice developing his technique.

Malique has also had the chance to gain valuable professional experiences during his time at PNCA. While working as a documentation studio assistant, he has built connections with his classmates while learning techniques for professionally displaying works. Working with Bearcat Athletics on Willamette’s Salem campus, he has been able to practice sports photography, another form of movement that fascinates Malique.

Now that he’s about to finish art school, Malique isn’t staying still. After graduation, he will continue to pursue a wide variety of creative projects. He plans to return to Florida to capture a dance festival before completing a residency in Mexico that will explore the annual celebration of Dia De Los Muertos. He also plans to continue his thesis work by following local ballet folklórico groups.

“I have an interest in working in many different creative avenues, from continuing to grad school, working as freelance, being a part of a creative team somewhere, and also creating fine art photography for gallery purposes,” Malique says.

As Malique continues to make big moves, he’ll be able to draw upon the experience and mentorship he gained in school.

“I think Willamette offered me part of the transitional stage I was missing,” Malique says. “Being here has allowed me the opportunity to dive further into creative ideas and projects; reaching out to others for collaboration, work, and learning opportunities; and the chance to be more involved in an artistic and creative community.”